New Gunong

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by David

For comparison here is an ivory hilted blade that i am pretty sure dates pre-WW2 and probably back as far as the turn of the century. Note the pommel is more elongated. Fittings are silver. Though it's hard to photograph with motion, the sheath is a beautiful chatoyant wood with a real nice flashing grain.
Size: Overall in sheath, 9inches. Blade alone, 5 1/4 inches.

Again David,

this one is not fancy but beautiful and I am green with envy!

[Robert]

Hello everyone and thank you all for your help and the great examples that have been posted. I've again tried to get some decent pictures but as you can tell a photographer I am not. However I do believe that these do show the detailing on this a little better. The picture of the guard shows the sandwich technique used in its construction which I believe is the same used on Jose's example. They also show my poor attempt "my first ever" at etching a blade. I cleaned it with ammonia, heated it slightly and then applied lime juice. At least this way I could get a very poor picture showing its construction. It could be seen quite easily before this by looking at it from an angle but I could not get a picture that it would show in at all before applying the lime juice. I would have had more showing the belt loops construction which is the same as the guards but the batteries in my camera died, I think it was trying to tell me something. The pictures of the scabbard do not do it justice at all, instead of better showing the giltwork, metalwork and color "which is alot deeper in person" they just seem to highlight the flaws. Anyway I hope that they are of some help. It would be nice to have a solid time frame as to when it was made and who it might have been for, but even if it is of later construction I will always hold it as one of my most prized pieces because it was a gift from my best friend, my wife.


Robert

[David]

Well Robert, there was never any question that this gunong is both expertly made and beautiful.

[migueldiaz]

Here's a similar piece, from a Paris museum, Musée du quai Branly (pics att.)...

[mrwizard]

Just for the records: a gunong with fittings of similar style but of rather poor workmanship. I believe it has been made for the travellers market. The seller told me it was brought to europe by an american soldier shortly after WW2.

[Battara]

Good comparison Mr. Wizard - notice the hilt and the waves of the blade, definite indications of very post WWII. Also the guard is blocky and is not cut to the contours of the okir.

[David]

Originally Posted by mrwizard

Just for the records: a gunong with fittings of similar style but of rather poor workmanship. I believe it has been made for the travellers market. The seller told me it was brought to europe by an american soldier shortly after WW2.

I agree with Jose that this is probably a very post WW2 example and that the seller exaggerated with his "shortly after WW2" comment (to think that they might ever do such a thing! ).

[David]

While we're at it, when did the gunong itself first appear? I have asked this question before with no solid result, but i guess it doesn't hurt to keep asking. :-) Has anyone seen any gunongs that can be safely dated before the late 19th century?

[David]

Originally Posted by Sajen

this one is not fancy but beautiful and I am green with envy!

Frankly, i am less inclined to assess age to gunongs the fancier they get. By fancy i mean all the filigree and extra okir work, not the materials. It seems to me that all the truly older examples tend to be simpler. When, for instance, did this bulbous filigree hilt feature first appear? It does not seem to be a feature of truly older gunongs, or am i wrong?